Developmental Editing
I’m delighted to offer fiction manuscript developmental editing services. This includes texts aimed at Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult audiences. It includes novels, novellas, and short stories. I am not the right person to offer critique on picture books or stories for children younger than 8 years old, or on works of non-fiction, poetry, or scripts.
Who is this service for?
- Authors who have at least a first draft and want guidance on plot and character arcs, pacing, tension, clarity of storytelling.
- Querying authors who have at least a first draft of a query letter and are looking for guidance on how to hook agents’ and/or publishers’ attention, pitching their story in the most enticing and succinct way.
- Authors who feel their manuscript is ready to go but need another pair of eyes to check for continuity errors, plot holes, voice consistency, and narrative flow.
What to expect from me
✓ In-document comments with feedback and suggestions, as well as a letter highlighting the strengths of the work and suggested areas for development.
✓ Ongoing support in your author journey.
✓ Completion of a course delivered by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and registered membership of the CIEP.
I was incredibly lucky to have B Wheeler beta read my manuscript. She went above and beyond what I asked for, offering thoughtful, detailed edits and insightful suggestions that significantly improved the clarity, structure, and flow of my story. Her understanding of plot, pacing, and character development is exceptional. Her feedback not only strengthened my book but also helped me grow as a writer. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to any author.
RB, Author.
Fees
As this is a new venture, my fees are low to reflect my expertise. However, please be reassured by the testimonials of authors I’ve worked with before.
I charge an initial £10 for up to 1000 words. This includes query letters and synopses (each item treated separately).
I would recommend all clients to send only 1000 words in the first instance, to ensure they are happy with my work.
If a client is happy to work with me following the original £10/1000 words, I charge £6.50 per further 1000 words.
Note: each separate item will be considered as a separate word count.
For example, a query letter at 500 words and a synopsis also at 500 words will each count as one document with up to 1000 words. Pricing: 2 x 1000 words = £16.50 (£10 for initial 1000 words and £6.50 for subsequent 1000 words).
Example of fees:
| Words | Price (£GBP) |
|---|---|
| 1000 | £10.00 |
| 2000 | £16.50 |
| 5000 | £36.00 |
| 10,000 | £68.50 |
| 25,000 | £166.00 |
| 50,000 | £328.50 |
| 75,000 | £491.00 |
To explore how B Wheeler can help you with your developmental editing, use the form:
Developmental Editing Enquiry
To enquire about Developmental Editing, please complete and submit the form below.
Sorry, I do NOT currently offer:
✗ Feedback on picture books, young children’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or scriptwriting. I don’t have sufficient knowledge of these areas to offer advice.
✗ Line editing services. I may in time offer this service, but I would want to gain confidence in my own grammar skills before attempting to advise others on theirs.
Feedback
Whenever I need some help with a query package, or a chapter, B is always the first person I think of. Her feedback is insightful without being harsh, and helps me to notice things that I’ve missed or that aren’t landing. I trust B completely and would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for another pair of eyes on a manuscript.
LL, Author.
B helped edit my opening chapter and query. Her feedback was kind and honest, allowing me to strengthen a piece I’d become stuck with.
NB, Author.
10/10 recommend her services!
B Wheeler’s query letter critique gave me confidence in what I had got right such as the opening paragraph with the necessary details and comps that she said were explained well. It is all too easy to second guess yourself when it comes to query letters so this put my mind at rest. She then spent some time improving the pitch part of the letter. The result was that it kept the original meaning but was more succinct. Gaining a different perspective on the letter was invaluable and I would definitely recommend it.
Anon, Author
I have had the privilege of exchanging work several times with B. She gives thorough, detailed feedback. This ranges from line level details like repeated words up to big picture comments on pace and plotting.
A critique partner
B Wheeler, Author 